The efficacy of voice therapy in patients after treatment for early glottic carcinoma

BACKGROUND. After treatment for early glottic carcinoma, a considerable]lumber of patients end tip with voice problems that interfere with daily life activities. The objective of this randomized and controlled study was to assess the efficacy of voice therapy in these patients. METHODS. Of 177 patients, 6-120 months after treatment for early glottic carcinoma, 70 patients (40%) suffered from voice impairment based on a 5-item screening questionnaire. Approximately 60% of those 70 patients were not interested in participating in the current study. Twenty-three patients who were willing to participate were assigned randomly either to a voice therapy group (n = 12 patients) or to a control group (n = 11 patients). Multidimensional voice analyses (the self-reported Voice Handicap Index [VHI], acoustic and perceptual voice quality analysis, videolaryngostroboscopy, and the Voice Range Profile) were conducted twice: before and after voice therapy or with 3 months in between for the control group. RESULTS. Statistical analyses of the difference in scores (postmeasurement millus premeasurement) showed significant voice improvement after voice therapy oil the total VHI score, percent jitter, and noise-to-harmonics ratio in the voice signal and on the perceptual rating of vocal fry. CONCLUSIONS. Voice therapy proved to be effective in patients who had voice problems after treatment for early glottic carcinoma. Improvement not only was noticed by the patients (VHI) but also was confirmed by objective voice parameters

Awake Flexible Fiberoptic Laryngoscopy to diagnose glossoptosis in Robin Sequence patients

Robin Sequence (RS) is usually defined as the combination of micrognathia, glossoptosis and upper airway obstruction. No objective criteria to diagnose RS exist. To compare management strategy results, a single RS definition using objective criteria is needed. The most frequently used primary diagnostic tool for glossoptosis is awake Flexible Fiberoptic Laryngoscopy (aFFL). To determine the reliability of the aFFL videos as an independent diagnostic tool itself, rather than on the complete evaluation of a patient. All RS individuals from an existing cohort with an available aFFL video were included retrospectively. Thirty age-matched patients without pathologic findings on aFFL were used as controls. aFFL videos were scored by six otolaryngologists as: a. Marked glossoptosis, b. Mild glossoptosis, c. Severity unknown, d. No glossoptosis, e. Insufficient video quality. Videos were anonymised and rated twice, in altered sequences, after a washout period of minimally 2 weeks. Inter-rater and intrarater agreement. Twenty-six videos of 16 RS patients and 30 videos of controls were included. Inter-rater agreement was fair in the whole group (κ: 0.320) and RS group (κ: 0.226), and fair to moderate in determining presence of glossoptosis (total group κ: 0.430; RS κ: 0.302; controls κ: 0.212). The intrarater agreement for the presence of glossoptosis in RS was moderate (κ: 0.541). aFFL offers fair to moderate inter-rater agreement, with moderate intrarater agreement, in evaluating glossoptosis in RS. Using aFFL as the single tool in choosing management strategies in RS seems insufficient. There is need for a more reliable, patient friendly diagnostic tool or an internationally accepted aFFL scoring system, to diagnose glossoptosis in R